Despite the shock of rising gas prices, the American Automobile Association, AAA, predicts more Americans are on the road this summer than ever before with 328 million leisure trips expected. And you can be sure that in many of those cars crisscrossing America will be kids; bored, whiney, driving-their-parents-crazy kids. Many parents have developed routines to make a trip to the grocery store more tolerable, but what do you do when traveling hundreds of miles?
(PRWEB) July 20, 2005 -- Despite the shock of rising gas prices, the American Automobile Association, AAA, predicts more Americans are on the road this summer than ever before with 328 million leisure trips expected. And you can be sure that in many of those cars crisscrossing America will be kids; bored, whiney, driving-their-parents-crazy kids. Many parents have developed routines to make a trip to the grocery store more tolerable, but what do you do when traveling hundreds of miles?
According to Gregg Laskoski of AAA, its easier than it used to be. Vehicles today," he says, such as minivans, for instance, provide far more space for kids to be engaged in activities and even board games than the station wagons of previous generations!" Still, he recommends bringing along, snacks, fruit, bottled water and making stops that allow everyone to stretch their legs." Thats advice that hasnt changed since the invention of rest stops.
But new technology, according to one expert, has indeed delivered travel remedies your grandparents could never have imagined. "Packing a few carefully considered, affordable road trip accessories can turn an otherwise miserable trip into a magnificent voyage to knowledge and growth," advises Howard Leventhal, author of Are We There Yet? Road Trips in the 21st Century.
Leventhal says the new gadgets offer everything from basic entertainment and games to fun learning activities. And with satellite technology, he says that it is even "possible to get all the latest programming from recorded music to a huge selection of video and TV while driving down the street in motion without ever stopping at a video or music store." Mobile satellite television is another exciting option for parents to consider. Leventhal explains how to get this technology and use it in his new book.
In the early 80s Leventhal created the first company to mass market video game joysticks and accessories—selling over 20 million of them around the world—but he is not a technology-over-everything-else kind of guy. His book is also full of low-tech ideas for travel entertainment including classics such as "I Spy" and "Car Bingo."
And there are plenty of novel ideas too. "The Travel Ticket Game," for instance, is a way to keep even toddlers "sporadically occupied" throughout a trip. It works like this. You give your preschooler a baggie filled with tickets (buy them or make them yourself) and explain that they are to give you one each time you pass a certain point. You define the points, such as each city or each state, or each McDonalds you pass. For each ticket they give you, the child gets a prize. Leventhal says this game is not only fun, but it allows your child to have some idea as to how far you have traveled and how much farther you have to go."
Such ideas may not entirely eliminate, "Are we there yet," emanating from the back seat. But with proper planning, says Leventhal, parents may hear that mantra much less.
For a review copy of the book or to set up an interview with Howard Leventhal for a story, please contact Jay Wilke at 727-443-7115, ext. 223.
# # #
|
